Forbidden Love
by loonygrl21
Summary: FEMSLASH, don't like, don't read. Hermione is dating Ron, but when Ron starts acting a bit differently, she receives comfort from the last person that she would expect. Her world in thrown in turmoil as Hermione struggles to come to terms with something s
1. Chapter 1

**Title: **Forbidden Love

**Rating:** T

**Pairings:** Hr/R; Hr/G; possible H/D

**Summary:** Hermione is dating Ron, but when Ron starts acting a bit differently, she receives comfort from the last person that she would expect. Her world in thrown in turmoil as Hermione struggles to come to terms with something she may have been denying for her whole life.

**Other Notes: **This is FEMSLASH, don't like, don't read, and don't waste your time flaming. Possible SLASH in the future, but I'm not sure yet. No lemons unless I feel that it's crucial to move the story forward. Updates may take a while, but I will try to update at least once every week or two, if there's a demand. If no one responds, I'll assume that no one wants to read it, so I probably won't update. The moral of the story: review if you like it. And if you don't, go read something else.

**Chapter 1**

"Hermione!" Ron said, irritated, "Are you listening to a word I've been saying?"

"Huh? Oh, I'm sorry Ron, I don't know where I've been lately." They were seated on the good couches in front of the fireplace in the Gryffindor common room.

Ron huffed grumpily and looked the other way. Internally sighing, Hermione laced fingers with her boyfriend. Sometimes Ron's insecurities became a bit irksome. She placed a kiss next to his earlobe and whispered in his ear, "You know no one could replace you. I'm just thinking about homework."

Ron jerked away from her and said tensely, "Of course it's homework, the thing you prize above life itself."

"Ronald, don't be like that."

"Oh, so it's _Ronald_ now? Just go away, I'm sick of looking at you."

Hermione rose slowly from the couch, trying to contain the tears that were threatening to spill out of her already-reddening eyes. She retained her slow pace until she was halfway up the stairs to her dormitory and out of sight. She bolted the rest of the distance to her dormitory, and collapsed on her four-poster bed. Her relationship with Ron had been rocky from the start, but he had never looked at her with such revulsion on his features. In all actuality, Hermione had never been truly interested in anyone in any sense besides purely educational. (She was particularly intrigued by Barnabas the Barmy, but seeing as he was dead, she knew it didn't count.) So, when Ron had asked her out, she agreed based on the idea that maybe she could develop feelings for him and finally understand why girls seemed to fawn over boys. But, so far though they had many lovely moments, he needed constant reassuring to keep his ego up.

_Stop this silly crying immediately_, she scolded herself. She held her breath in an attempt to halt the sobs that were shaking her body. She regained her self-control after a minute, and looked around the room. Her heart stopped when she saw a startled-looking redhead in the doorway. She calmed down as soon as she realized that it was Ginny, not Ron.

"What do you want?" Hermione said briskly, trying to hide the fact that she had just been crying and hoping against hope that Ginny had not seen it.

"I- um, I wanted he-help with Potions." Ginny stammered. She paused to regain control "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to barge in on anything."

"Well, that's good, because you didn't" Hermione said, still clinging to the insane notion that Ginny had not just witnessed her in one of her few weak moments.

"Hermione," Ginny said gently, moving closer and sitting on the edge of Hermione's bed "What's wrong?"

_Please don't say that_, Hermione begged, but the damage had been done. Whenever someone asked her what was wrong, or if she was okay, or any variation thereof, it restarted the waterworks. She turned her face away from Ginny so that she couldn't see the tears now streaming freely down her cheeks.

"Nothing," Hermione said, trying to keep her voice from wavering, "I have allergies." Hermione didn't need to look at her to know that Ginny didn't buy it for a second.

Ginny said nothing and placed a comforting hand on Hermione's arm. Hermione stiffened, but Ginny kept going. She pulled the unwilling girl into an embrace and held on until she relaxed in her arms and just cried unreservedly.

Hermione didn't know what to feel, being comforted was alien to her. She had always been so in-control. Even at home, she and her parents rarely had any contact. She decided to just go with it, since she really needed it anyway. Ginny placed a chaste kiss on her forehead and Hermione felt a blush spread through her face. _I wish Ron would kiss me with that tenderness_, she thought, but immediately regretted it because it made her start crying again. Ginny wiped a fat tear threatening to fall out of Hermione's eye. Then, without knowing precisely how it had happened or why, Ginny lightly brushed Hermione's lips with her own. There was a static charge between them, and both pairs of eyes fluttered open, not being quite sure when they were closed.

Ginny stood up, "I should go," she said, heading for the door, "And I'm really sorry." And then she was gone.

Hermione carefully touched her lips, still in shock. She slowly stood up and began walking aimlessly.

_Well_, she thought, _this is unexpected_. It wasn't like she was opposed to the idea of homosexuality, but she had never had any encounters with it before. And she had never even considered the possibly that she might be… well, not exactly straight. And it didn't seem as though Ginny had thought about all that much either. _This would explain a lot_, she thought as she looked back on previous moments in her life that should have tipped her off. Like whenever Ginny would smile in greeting and Hermione's heart started beating more quickly and her breathing became shallow. She had always blamed the palpitations on magic residue stimulating her respiratory system. Or, when she had to go to a muggle school, she couldn't keep her eyes off of the other girls when changing for P.E. She had told herself that she was merely getting a better understanding of the female anatomy, in an entirely edifying sense.

Hermione looked up when her feet stopped and realized that she was standing in front of the library. _When in doubt, research_, she thought before heading in.


	2. Chapter 2

Thank you all for your fabulous reviews! Each one made me smile, and inspired me to write more.

**Disclaimer:** Obviously, I do not own Harry Potter. If I did, rest assured that the pairings would have been quite different, and I probably would have been number one on the gay hunters' lists.

**Chapter 2**

Within minutes, Hermione was precariously balancing a large stack of books, heading for her usual table in the corner. She fondly set them down as she situated herself in the wooden chair. There was something about the library that calmed her. The hustle and bustle of daily life was extinguished, and all that was left was a serene sanctuary with seemingly endless amounts of potential knowledge, just itching to be learned. She picked up the first book in the pile- _The Origin of Homosexuality_- and slowly opened it, savoring the fresh book-smell, and got to work. Though she was a fast reader, she slowed down in order to relish each word, and occasionally reread passages many times, storing it away in her mind, in case she would ever want to recall that particular tidbit. As she studied, felt the pieces of comprehension fall in place.

After she finished the first, she hungrily devoured the rest, taking extensive mental notes and not looking up until all were finished. As she closed the last book, she sat back, satisfied, and returned the books to their proper shelves. When she glanced at the clock, she realized with a jolt that it was already 7:00, and that she was an hour late for dinner. _Ron_, she thought, groaning internally and quickly heading for the Great Hall.

***

Hermione burst into the Great Hall, but braked once she thought of the foul mood that Ron would be in. She pusillanimously considered sitting with Ginny, but realized that Ginny might not be ready to talk to her yet. She sighed and headed toward the inevitable fight, knowing that if she didn't face it then, it would only get worse. She slowly approached the table and sat down next to Ron.

"What's for dinner?" she asked, hoping that her forced-casual tone would positively impact the mood.

"Look who decided to join us," Ron said icily, and Hermione flinched at the affliction that his tone caused her.

"I'm really sorry, I was in the library and I lost track of-"

"Save your excuses, I don't want my dinner to be ruined."

There was a tense silence between them as Ron finished his dessert. Harry looked between them questioningly, but said nothing and decided to stay out of it.

After a few minutes, Ron stood up. "Let's go Harry, I'm done." He glared at Hermione, as if daring her to stay. Abandoning the thought of food, though she was exceptionally hungry, she got up and trailed Ron out of the Great Hall. When they were heading up the marble staircase, Ron roughly grabbed Hermione's hand and shoved it into his own, never once making eye contact. Hermione held her arm at an awkward angle and walked close to Ron, feeling like a dog on a leash. _This relationship has got to end_, she thought, _but what will happen to me if I try to break it off?_

"Flobberworm," Harry said as they reached the Fat Lady, the first word Hermione had heard him speak all day.

Ron pulled Hermione through the portrait hole, never relinquishing her hand, and to the couch in front of the fire, dumping some first years onto the floor in the process.

"Ronald! You cannot treat the other students like that, you're a prefect and it could permanently damage their psyche to have…" she withered under the deep scowl that Ron treated her with. She mentally kicked herself for not being able to contain her inner mother. Instead, she stared into the fire, watching the sparks rise, glow brighter, then pop before the ashes descended back into the fire.

After a while, her hand started to become uncomfortably sweaty. She tried to gently tug it back, but Ron just gripped it harder.

Hermione waited half of an hour before stated that she was exceptionally tired, and should turn in. Ron said nothing in reply, but let go of her hand. She quickly pecked his cheek and dashed up the stairs to her dormitory.

When she entered the room, no one was there, since it was only 8:30. She slowly made her way to her four-poster, fingering the thick red curtains that hung all around her bed. Opening her trunk, she pulled out her textbooks, planning on memorizing the next day's lessons to waste the rest of the night.

It wasn't as if she was weak, she was just really scared of Ron because of his behavior. She feared for her safety, knowing what he was capable of. And, for once, the great Hermione Granger could think of no solutions that didn't involve running away to America and disguising as a muggle. Just then, her stomach emitted a loud rumble, which pushed her over the edge.

"AARGH!" She screamed in frustration, punching her pillow.

"Hermione? Are you all right?" Lavender asked, pushing back her curtains. Hermione jumped: she hadn't heard others come in.

"Um, I'm fine, there was a spider." _Great going, genius_, she thought, cursing her inability to lie under pressure. But it seemed to work.

"Ew!" squealed Parvati from the other side of the room, "Vanish it!"

"I already did," said Hermione.

"Good."

Hermione launched herself back into pre-memorizing, as her stomach growled again, but this time she contained herself. She pulled on her pajamas, and continued studying.

After a few hours, the deep breathing of the girls filled the room, and Hermione knew what she had to do, at least for the moment. She slipped shoes on and tiptoed out of the dormitory.

At the top of the staircase, Hermione cast the Disillusionment charm on herself, and then proceeded through the now-empty common room. She slowly pushed on the back of the Fat Lady's portrait, wincing at the creaking sound it made, but the Fat Lady slept on.

Hermione crept through the castle, keeping to the shadows, until she arrived at a painting of fruit. _Isn't it sad that I have to sneak around in order to get food?_ Hermione thought dryly as she tickled the pear and entered the kitchen. Undoing the Disillusionment charm, Hermione waved an elf over. She had long since realized that house-elves, for some insane reason, enjoyed being slaves.

"Yes, miss?" said the elf, tripping over itself in its eagerness to please.

"Do you have any Shepherd's Pie? And a place to sit would be nice."

"Certainly, miss," the elf squeaked excitedly, just sit over here and Jerry'll have your order right quick."

Jerry the house-elf led her towards a table by a fire. Hermione stopped in her tracks and stared at what she saw. Or, rather, WHO she saw.

"Hermione!" Ginny exclaimed, looking up from her soup "What're you doing here?"

Hermione started to self-consciously cover her pajamas, but realized that Ginny was sitting in her flower nightie, so she regained confidence.

"Midnight snack," Hermione explained, wanting to keep the conversation light.

There was a pause, and Hermione sat down opposite of Ginny.

"L-look, Hermione," Ginny stammered, "Again, I'm _really_ sorry about earlier. I just… don't know what came over me."

Hermione understood that this must really upset Ginny, because that was the second time that day that she had stuttered, which was a rarity for her. Ginny was usually so composed.

"Really, it's okay," Hermione reassured her, "You really helped me. And you made me realize that maybe I do need more physical contact with people, I must come off so cold." She placed her hand over Ginny's on the table and smiled at her. Ginny's face was radiant, but looked like she was still holding something back.

"There's something you should probably know first," Ginny said slowly, regretfully pulling her hand back, "I-" but she was cut off by the house-elf, Jerry, handing Hermione her dinner. Hermione enthusiastically began eating, though still waiting for Ginny's comment.

"I'm not sure that…" Ginny began again, and took a deep breath. "This is harder to say than I thought. It just… might mean something different to me than it does to you."

"Let's not complicate this, okay?" said Hermione, sneaking bites in between sentences, "Let's just feel what we feel, how we feel it, and just go from there. And if something's uncomfortable, we tell each other. Agreed?"

"Are you sure?"

"Absolutely."

Ginny smiled sincerely as Hermione finished her meat pie.

**A/N:** I know the first few chapters may not be the greatest, and seem kind of rushed, but I'm still getting a feel for the story, so please bear with me. I hope that I'm doing okay at characterization. There will also be lemons in the future, but not juicy lemons, it's not described in full detail. They're there purely to help the story progress. It's not for a few chapters, and I'll post a warning on the chapter that it appears, so if you don't want to read it then just skip over that part. Please leave a review, anything except straight up flames. I take constructive criticism. Again, if no one reviews, then I won't update. Thanks again to all of you who have left the lovely comments!


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer:** (Honestly, why do we have to write these stupid things? I mean, first of all, I'm not sure that JKR can be considered a "fan" if it's her own work. And secondly, she wouldn't NEED to write fanfictions, she could have just made her story that way in the first place. So it should just be assumed that, if you're writing these, you don't own the story.) *sigh* I don't own Harry Potter (as if it wasn't already obvious.)

**A/N:** Ron may seem a bit OOC in this chapter, but just bear with it. I swear, he's bipolar. But just keep reading, it'll make sense later. Also, swearword warning, don't say I didn't tell you.

**Chapter 3**

The 5th year girls Gryffindor dormitory was empty save for one girl, twisted in her comforter with a serene smile on her sleeping features. Soft morning light haloed her smooth complexion and she rolled in her sleep… only to be jolted awake when she fell bodily to the floor. A moment too late, her hands jerked uselessly to cover her face and her eyes darted frantically around the room.

Hermione took a moment to orient herself, and when her heartbeat had resumed a semi-normal pace, she glanced at the digital alarm clock her parents had given her for her last birthday. When her eyes focused on the luminescent numbers, her heart rate shot back up again and she scrambled through her pristine trunk for a set of robes. Cursing, she pulled on the first one that her hand alighted upon. She performed a quick spell to rid herself of bedhead and morning breath and sprinted out the door. In the now-empty room, the clock announced 7:54 a.m.

Hermione dashed through the halls toward the History of Magic classroom, praying that she could run quickly enough. When she was three classrooms away, Hermione was feeling a wave of conviction that she would make it. No sooner had the satisfaction warmed her than Ron unexpectedly reached out from seemingly nowhere and grabbed Hermione's arm, almost yanking it from its socket.

"Ron, what are you doing? We'll be late!" Hermione shrieked.

"Um, Hermione, I really need to talk to you."

"Does it have to be now?!"

Ron looked heartbroken and said, "Hermione, it's important."

Hermione huffed and looked toward the classroom, so close. Just then, the bell rang. "Fine. But we could be missing crucial information for the exam!"

"Could you _please_ think about something other than school for just five minutes?!" Ron said, a shadow of his customary anger forming on his face.

_This is it_, Hermione thought, _this is when I'll break up with him_. She gulped and prayed for courage. "Okay," she said, a bit feebly. Ron pulled her into the empty classroom to their right.

Once they were settled, they each looked at each other expectantly, then both began talking at once. There was an awkward silence, after which Hermione insisted that Ron go first, trying to prolong what she knew had to be done.

"Look, Hermione," Ron said, wringing his hands, "I'm really sorry about how I've been treating you lately. O.W.L. pressure is a lot, from mum, and I'm just afraid of someone else taking you away from me. I know I was never good enough for you from the start. Just… when you agreed to go out with me, I honestly believed that I had died and gone to Heaven. Because there is no more perfect girl in the world than you. And I… I love you, Hermione, and I would die without you."

Hermione was utterly shocked and grasped for words but, for once, could find none. She shamefully looked at the floor, feeling guilty for ever doubting that he cared for her. That didn't change the fact that she had no feelings for him, though. But after that confession, even though it was a bit too clingy for her comfort, she couldn't bring herself to say what she knew she had to.

"That-that's very flattering, Ronald."

He smiled quietly, and held the door open for her, so they could get to class, albeit several minutes late. _This is _so_ unlike him_, Hermione thought, a feeling of foreboding brewing in her gut. She ignored it and stepped through the door. Ron tentatively reached for her hand, and she wondered if she could pretend not to see it. After a moment of internal crisis, she took it as they walked the short distance to the classroom.

They silently pushed open the door to the History of Magic classroom, so as not to disturb the class. Professor Binns did not so much as look up from his monotonous note-reading as they slid into empty seats, uncaught. Ron pulled the uncomfortable Hermione closer as Seamus whispered, "Hey, where've you been?"

Ron grinned mischievously, all hints of his loving self gone. "Oh, you know," he said back, "doing a little something in an empty classroom."

Hermione flushed bright crimson, and opened her mouth to vehemently deny it when Seamus cut her off.

"Woah, dude, that's _awesome_, I wish Parvati were that willing," Seamus said. Then he saw Hermione's angry red cheeks. "Hey, no need to be ashamed of it, guys like a girl that gives herself away. I might just have to see if I can pop one in you, too," he winked.

Ron furiously pulled her out of Seamus's sight and whispered threateningly, "If you so much as _think_ about putting your microscopic dick anywhere near my girl, you will live to regret it."

All of the while, Professor Binns remained oblivious to the conversation. Hermione's mind was a painful whirlwind of confusion as she compared the Ron of a few minutes past to the Ron of the present.

Ron attempted to pull Hermione closer, but she broke away in order to write detailed notes on Professor Binns' lecture. She threw all of her focus into that, trying to block out the hyper speed merry-go-round of thoughts threatening to take over her.

The rest of the period passed quickly, much to Hermione's relief. The second the bell rang, Hermione grabbed her books and bolted out the door, only pausing long enough to say "Library," by way of explanation to Ron. He didn't even have time to complain.

Hermione sped toward the library, her comforting constant. Her next class didn't start for 15 minutes, and she figured she could at least have enough time to read the History lesson over again, since she had to miss the first part of the lecture. She lingered at the doorway for a second longer than necessary, breathing in the musky book smell and feeling her nerves melt into a more manageable, and less prominent, form. She walked to the corner table, setting her books more or less reverently on the smooth wood.

Hermione knew that she should have acted when she had the chance, and that she should still break up with him, no matter how he was like on his good… minutes. And what about her feelings for Ginny? Being gay was taboo, her own parents would never support her. They were devoutly into their Catholic faith, and homosexuals were worse than street whores in their book. And Mrs. Weasley wouldn't very well appreciate Hermione taking her only daughter away from her.

Hermione was shocked back into consciousness when something large and furry pressed up against her arm, which was supported by the table.

"Crookshanks!" Hermione hissed, "You know you're not allowed in here!" She picked up the ginger cat and swiftly gathered her books. She smuggled him out of the library, deciding to take him somewhere far away, so that he couldn't wander back in and face the wrath of Madam Pince. She dropped Crookshanks by an empty classroom, the door slightly ajar. He stared up at her with large, luminous eyes, not moving. She gently pushed the cat a few inches down the hall, saying "Go catch a mouse or something." He went slowly, giving her an annoyed look, and finally scampered around the corner.

Hermione turned to head back to the library, but then realized that she might as well head to her next class, since she would have to head there as soon as she got to the library, anyway. With a sigh, she pivoted back the way she had sent Crookshanks, but stopped in her tracks when a movement caught her eye, coming from the presumably empty classroom. She quietly opened the door a bit farther, peeking in, but knowing that she shouldn't. It was only her first year being a prefect, but she had already seen enough to last her for a lifetime and to start her own unique dirty magazine. Shuddering those images from her mind, she forced her vision to penetrate more into the darkness. And then… she saw what had caught her eye. She plastered her hand over her mouth to keep from gasping. She tried to tear herself away, but her eyes were glued.

She forced her legs to back away from the doorway, in spite of the fact that they seemed to have turned into jell-o, but were shaking like jackhammers._ Jackhammers filled with jell-o_, Hermione thought incomprehensibly.

Finally, Hermione gained enough control of her legs to push her in the right direction. She built her speed, hoping that if she could run fast enough, it would be as if it had never happened. She skidded to a halt outside of the Defense Against the Dark Arts classroom, successfully thinking about the incident minimally and only focusing on her burning legs.

As she was the first to arrive, Hermione sat in a partially obscured row by the wall (so that Ron would hopefully overlook her when he came) and just allowed herself to think.

_First of all, why? I need to answer that_. She thought long and hard. _Probably to get back at Seamus. But if that's the case, why do it that way? Do I really have that bad of taste? Would I really be convinced by mere acting?_

She waited as the students trickled in, surreptitiously watching the door. The last two people to enter were just the two she had feared. They were giggling about some private joke, and seemed flushed. A whisper ran through the whole room as it took in this new development:

_Ron and Parvati_.

**A/N:** Sorry about the kinda-cliffhanger. Just FYI, I most likely won't be able to update next week, because I have the Ohio Graduation Test all week, plus a GINORMOUS essay, the biggest of my life, not to mention track season starts.

Reviews are greatly appreciated, you know the drill: no reviews, no update. (It sounds like I'm blackmailing, but I don't want to continue if no one likes my story.) You may not know it, but your feedback really helps. I don't have the story planned out, I just make it up as I go, so suggestions work as well. Thanks again to reviewers! Until next time, ttfn!


	4. Chapter 4

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Harry Potter (duh).

**A/N:** I'm REALLY sorry about the long update, things have been really busy here. On the bright side, I finally finished my essay! 

This chapter really pushes the limit of the T rating, but I don't want to move the rating to M until I absolutely have to. The reason for this is that, most of the time, when fanfiction readers see that something is femmeslash, and also M rated, they tend to assume that it's all sex. And while I like those stories as well as the next person, I don't want readers to get the wrong impression about my story.

**Chapter 4**

"Wands away," came Umbridge's annoyingly falsetto voice, "There will be no need to talk."

Even though she had memorized the whole book, Hermione opened it in a show of studying. She decided to read it through, anyway, just to keep the material fresh. But mostly to keep from thinking about anything else. _Next period, during break_, she thought, _that's when I'll allow myself to think about it._

Originally, Hermione hadn't intended to have a break in her schedule, as she would have to miss potential knowledge. But, at the last minute, Muggle Culinary Arts hadn't had enough students interested to waste sending a teacher to teach. In fact, Hermione had been the only one to sign up. She knew that knowing how to cook, without magic, was a skill that she needed to develop, just in case. She had attempted to teach herself, over the previous summers, but soon learned that it required more than book knowledge. And, while she could brew a perfect sleeping draft with no problems at all, muggle cooking made her lose patience, and lulled her into a false sense of security just when she thought everything was under control. For example, one time she tried to make fudge by following the instructions that she had found on the Internet (her parents insisted that, just because witches may have no need for computers and the like, they be connected anyway to the rest of society). She was careful to watch the recipe closely, as she was still learning. After stirring nonstop for over 15 minutes, she decided that it _must_ be done. So, she lifted the pot off of the burner, only for the fudge to rise to the surface of the large pot. Bewildered, Hermione continued to hold the pan above the stove until the fudge spilled over the top of the pot, creating a mess all over the stove. She stirred the concoction until it settled. She started to clean the stove, but realized that her fudge had hardened to a near-impossible solidity. Miserably, she scraped for hours, trying to clean her disastrous cooking experiment, angry that magic was not allowed over the summer holidays.

The bell rang, jolting Hermione from her reminiscence. She quickly headed for the exit, being grateful, for once, for Divination, as Ron and Harry both headed to Trelawney's tower for the following period. She would be able to collect her thoughts uninterrupted. She got closer to the door, and her heart rate shot up with hope that she may make it out without being noticed. At that moment, Ron's hand grabbed her forearm.

"Where do you think you're going?" he growled in her ear.

Hermione swallowed against her dry throat, which felt as if it had suddenly been coated with sawdust.

"Um, library," she said nervously. Ron roughly pulled her out of the classroom and down the hall, into yet another empty classroom. Hermione knew that she should confront him about his disturbing episode with Parvati, but it was much different to do something in theory than it was to pull it off when actually faced with the situation, which she learned when making the fudge.

Ron slammed the door behind them and pushed Hermione up against the wall.

"What were you thinking, not sitting with me?" he fumed, "I can't have the other guys thinking my girlfriend is _disloyal_, now can I?"

"Oh, I don't know," Hermione replied, anger and hurt subtly laced into her speech, "You looked pretty comfortable with Parvati."

The next thing Hermione knew, she was on the floor, her jaw collapsed inward and her head colliding with a wayward desk. Ron towered over her, breathing heavily. He stomped his foot down on her unfortunately exposed nose, causing her to choke on the blood that flowed into her throat, blocking her airway. He gave her one last swift kick to her gut before leaving and locking the door behind him.

Hermione used her little remaining strength to roll herself over onto her throbbing stomach. Coughs wracked her frail form as her lungs attempted to rid themselves of the blood from her broken nose.

As she lay on the cold, stone floor, waiting for her strength to return, Hermione thought about what had happened. _What if I deserved that?_ She wondered, _Maybe Ron was right to do that to me. What if, after all of this time,_ I _was the one was horribly and irrevocably wrong?_

Once those thoughts entered her head, Hermione learned to love the feel of her wounds. It made her feel that, for once, she was in her proper place. Ron was, after all, much smarter, and therefore dominant.

A more rational side of Hermione's mind knew that none of this was her fault, and that if she didn't heal her wounds quickly, they would permanently become part of her features. Before the pessimistic side of her brain could overtake her again, she performed several spells to heal her face and stomach. She slowly sat up and cleaned the blood off of the floor.

In a daze, she unlocked the door using the simple Alohamora spell, and headed down the hall. She started for the library, but realized that, for once, research couldn't help her. So, instead, she went silently down to the Entrance Hall and out onto the grounds.

It was a crisp November afternoon, and the cool wind felt nice on Hermione's face. She walked around Hagrid's cabin and into the Forbidden Forest. As soon as she stepped through the curtain of trees, the pale light of day was almost completely obstructed. She walked in a seemingly directionless manner, the crunched leaves underfoot emitting a soft, fresh perfume. Finally, she came upon one of the rare clearings in the thick woods, and the daylight that had seemed faint earlier now appeared to overwhelm the small, circular space. Hermione approached the lone tree in the center of the clearing. It was at least four feet thick, and was an inviting sight.

As she sat against the trunk of the tree, Hermione finally allowed herself to think about everything that she had been avoiding. She knew, now more than ever, that she needed to break up with Ron. _No one deserves that kind of abuse_, she thought to herself, while at the same time thinking that she should stop being a wimp, and just take it. After all, Ron needed some way to release his frustration, and Hermione may as well serve a purpose. Deciding that her thoughts were going down a path that she didn't wish to walk, Hermione stood up and began exploring the clearing. She walked to the other side of the large oak tree in the center… only to be shocked to see a pair of chocolate brown eyes staring back at her. Ginny had been on the opposite side of the tree the whole time.

"Gi-Ginny!" Hermione spluttered, "What are you doing here?"

"I could ask the same question," Ginny said calmly, "This is my secret place. How did you find it?"

"I… I don't know. I was just wandering through the forest." Hermione sat next to Ginny against the trunk of the oak tree.

"Oh," Ginny said, staring warmly at Hermione without comment. After a minute, Hermione found the silence to be unnerving.

"What? Is there something in my face?"

"No," said Ginny, "you're just… so beautiful. I really can't help myself."

Hermione felt her features flush pleasantly as she looked down at her hands, nervously twisted in her lap. Ginny reached out her fingers and softly stroked down Hermione's silky, blushing cheek. She put her fingers under Hermione's chin and gently pulled it back up. Their lips met slowly and gently, the simple contact sending flutters up and down Hermione's entire being. When Hermione looked up at Ginny, it felt like all of the love in her body was pouring out of her eyes and into the stunning girl beside her. _So this is what true love feels like_, Hermione realized as the two sat happily, snuggling in the slightly chilly air.

**A/N:** Again, I'm really sorry about how long it's taken me to update. So, in my way of apologizing, I will provide you with mildly interesting, yet unimportant details that have something to do with the story, but more to do with my life:

I base Ron's character off of personal experience, though I have (luckily) never been abused by anyone that I've dated. His character is based off of two of my ex-stalkers combined with one of my younger brothers. When he acts desperate, has low self-esteem, and has violent tendencies, that's based off of my ex-stalkers. When he has anger issues that seem improbable, that's how my 13-year-old brother acts on a daily basis.

In case you hadn't already guessed, Hermione's Fudge Incident actually happened to me (I cannot cook worth crap- seriously, just today I burnt a microwave veggie patty beyond recognition) except, instead of being calm like Hermione, I yelled for my mom. She came rushing upstairs, and when she saw me standing over the stove, holding the exploding pot with a terrified expression on my face, she burst out laughing. So much for parental support.

When I write, I cannot focus unless I'm listening to Kelly Clarkson's CD, Breakaway. I couldn't tell you why, I don't really listen to it all that much when I'm not writing. I'm more of the hard rock type. But when I first got the CD, I would listen to it while reading some of my favorite books, so I guess listening to it now inspires me and whispers sentence structures into my subconscious. Not that you really needed to know that, but I just thought I'd share it.

Thanks so much for having the patience to put up with me. Please read and review! Dry lemons soon, so be wary.


	5. Chapter 5

**Disclaimer:** Let me check… darn, I don't own Harry Potter. I guess I'll just have to dream harder, maybe then I will.

**A/N:** Thank you again to all of you lovely people who have reviewed. As for the rest of you… I was highly disappointed at the lack of reviews for this chapter. There are over 1700 views on this story, 27 subscribers, and only 31 comments. So, after this chapter, I'm not going to update until there are at least 15 more reviews. However, if you write a long, insightful comment, I may count it as 2. I mean, as much as I would love to write for 2 fans, I do put off my homework so that I can write. Flames will be blocked (if I knew how to do that… so it's pretty much an empty threat. But still, there are many, more constructive ways to tell me that the chapter was not particularly to your liking.) so don't waste your time.

**Warnings:** DRY LEMONS!!!!! Do not disregard this if lemons offend you!!! It's not full detail (hence why I call it "dry" lemons) and still able to be kept at a T rated level, but still… if I didn't post a warning, some may be caught off guard and get upset. ALSO: language alert! If you're offended by foul language, I would recommend either skipping this chapter entirely, skimming over the words, or dealing with it.

**Chapter 5**

When Hermione and Ginny returned to the castle, the school was transitioning from its half hour break before lunch at noon. Hermione was beaming as they made their way through the Entrance Hall, being over-conscious of her hand, which was clasped in Ginny's. Her palms weren't sweaty like they usually were when Ron held her hand: they felt just right. Just before they reached the Great Hall, Hermione pulled Ginny aside.

"Can you… sit by me?" Hermione asked, reddening and suddenly feeling inexplicably shy. She didn't want to have to deal with Ron by herself.

"Of course," Ginny said, looking surprised.

Hermione unwound their hands and they headed into the Great Hall together.

Dreading the result, Hermione turned and walked through the Great Hall with Ginny at her side. The pit of her stomach churned nervously as she delicately took her place beside Ron. She kept her face downward cast, expecting him to start yelling. After a few minutes of silence, Hermione looked up. Her eyes widened as she saw Ron smiling cordially and entering a conversation with Harry and Ginny. When Ron saw her looking at him, he winked and grasped her hand under the table. Hermione had to keep herself from wincing as he squeezed her hand so hard that her bones scraped together.

For the remainder of lunch, Hermione gratefully played along with the friendly façade that Ron put up.

When lunch ended, Ron pulled Hermione up and walked her out of the Great Hall. As they passed the tables, there was much cooing as the most-beloved couple made their exit. Grinning and loving the attention, Ron swept Hermione into a slobbery kiss as the students applauded.

Once they were in private, Ron yanked Hermione down the long, sunny corridors. _What now?_ Hermione thought, almost beginning to feel boredom at Ron's predictability. When Ron pulled her back and forth down the same hall three times, she figured it out. _The Room of Requirement_, Hermione realized as Ron opened the freshly-materialized wooden door.

Upon entering the unremarkable room, Ron locked the door and sat down on a couch that appeared from thin air. Examining him more closely, Hermione realized that he was crying. She began to severely worry that he had Borderline Personality Disorder, in which case, she couldn't hold his actions against him. She gingerly perched next to him on the couch and placed her arm comfortingly around his shoulders.

"What's wrong?" Hermione asked softly.

"I get… so depressed. I know you deserve so much better than me, and yet you're still with me. I cannot tell you how much that means to me."

Hermione squirmed guiltily, but said nothing. After crying for about 20 seconds, Ron exploded.

"MOTHER FUCKER!!!"

"Wh-" Hermione was bewildered.

"I can't _believe_ you! I gave you the perfect lead-in. Do you think I'm stupid?"

"I honestly have no idea what you're talking about."

"I know you're having an affair. Don't think I don't know what you're up to behind my back- with Seamus!"

"Ron, I never even _talk_ to Seamus!"

"Oh, so you only fuck?! No side conversation? Well, aren't I lucky, I get to hear you _talk_."

"Ron-"

"Spare me the bullshit," Ron said as he forced Hermione down onto the couch. He ripped her robes open and tore her skirt and panties down her long legs. In less than a second, he had hitched his own robes up around his hips and unzipped his pants. Hermione saw what was happening, but was powerless to stop it, since Ron's arm was pinning her awkwardly to the couch. He violently shoved himself inside of her.

The pain that shot through her was crippling. Hermione screwed up her face in an attempt to keep from crying; the least she could do was to lose her virginity with her pride still intact. With each shove, this became a harder task than she could have imagined. Eventually, she could hold it in no longer, and silent tears rolled down her cheeks by the dozens. She closed her eyes and tried to think of something else until it was over. She thought of Ginny, and the comfort she found there. Her thoughts then spiraled to how guilty she felt, cheating on Ron. But when she thought of him, she was reminded that the hurt being inflicted on her even at that moment was all to do with him, her conscience reevaluated the situation.

When Ron was finally finished, he re-zipped his pants and left the room. When she was sure he was gone, Hermione let out a sob that she had been suppressing. For about 30 minutes, Hermione just allowed herself to break down. Finally, she came to her senses and realized that she had missed Transfiguration. _There goes my perfect record_, Hermione thought miserably.

Standing up, Hermione noticed five drops of blood adorning the white couch. _At least my period doesn't start for a few days_, she thought, _so I can't get… wait a minute_. Hermione had momentarily lapsed. She remembered learning that the female ovulation time was 2-3 days before her menstrual cycle. She started shaking, and then everything went black.

**A/N:** I am so sincerely sorry that it's taken me so long to update. My grades have been dropping, and it's been my main priority to get them back up again. And I was kind of swayed from writing when my English teacher emailed my mom, saying that my writing was elementary, and that I needed to try harder if I intended to pass the class. Not to mention that I finally was able to order the Queer as Folk series, after saving for 4 months. I have become obsessed, if you have the chance to watch it, I highly recommend it. My creative juices have been in short supply lately. Luckily, this story is sort of writing itself, I'm only the messenger. R&R, and read my A/N at the beginning of this chapter, I hate repeating myself. (I actually started this chapter, like, a month ago and I've had it planned for a while, but it's finding the time and patience to shift the ideas to the computer that gives me difficulty.)


	6. Chapter 6

**Disclaimer:** As we all know, I do not own Harry Potter.

**A/N:** I am so weak! I know I said that I wouldn't update until there were 15 more reviews, but then I realized that it would be unfair to assume that my story was good enough to wait for, so I should be grateful for the reviews that I have. So… thank you everyone! And I only recently found out that you can respond to reviews, so if you were offended that I never spoke back, I'm very sorry.

**Chapter 6**

Hermione woke up in the hospital wing several hours later. Registering a figure bustling about her bedside, Hermione hoarsely asked, "How did I get here?"

Madame Pomfrey shushed her, and whispered, pointing to the chair next to Hermione's bed, "She dragged you up here around 3 p.m. Looked scared as the dickens, poor thing. She hasn't left since then."

Hermione turned her head to the right and saw the slender form of Ginny, peacefully sleeping. Ginny's chin rested on her chest, and Hermione felt herself lightly tracing the smooth curves of Ginny's cheek with her finger. Madame Pomfrey left them alone.

Hermione sat up in bed and allowed herself to take in the beauty of Ginny. Her long lashes gently brushed her freckled cheeks. Hermione found her fingers running through Ginny's long, silky red hair. Just as her hand began to move lower, Ginny's eyes fluttered open. Hermione guiltily snatched her hand back as though it had been burned.

"Um, what time is it?" Hermione asked, trying to keep Ginny from noticing her flaming cheeks. Ginny glanced down at her watch.

"12:07," she replied. "I brought you your homework."

Hermione was touched. Then she remembered something.

"How did you find me?" she asked.

Ginny hesitated for a moment. "Well… after a couple of periods, I hadn't seen you around at all. So I snuck up to Harry's dormitory and glanced at the Marauder's Map. When I couldn't find you anywhere, I figured you must be in the Room of Requirement. You were passed out cold on the ground; you had hit your head pretty hard."

"I owe you," Hermione said as Ginny blushed.

***

Morning found the two girls asleep in the same hospital bed. Hermione slit her eyes open, only to receive a splitting headache from the sunlight pouring through the curtains. After composing herself, Hermione headed to the bathroom to freshen up. She staggered off to the restroom attached to the Hospital Wing. After relieving herself, Hermione splashed some water on her face. Looking into the unforgiving glass in front of her, Hermione let out a groan. Her face was pale and stretched; gunk had formed at the corners of her eyes; her normally curly hair had come to resemble that of an electric shock patient; and her mouth was glued shut with a bitter paste that layered her tongue. Hermione left the bathroom, hoping to slip past Ginny and make herself decent before she saw her.

"Good morning Hermione," Ginny said brightly, destroying Hermione's hope and looking every bit her stunning self at the same time.

_How does she wake up looking so perfect?_ Hermione thought jealously as her face reddened. She held her hands in front of her face, trying to conceal her horrid morning appearance.

"What's wrong?" Ginny asked, concerned. Mortified, Hermione explained her predicament. By that time, Ginny had made her way over to her. She lowered Hermione's hands and proclaimed, "I don't see what you're talking about. You look beautiful, like always."

It was at that point that Hermione promised herself that she would never tell Ginny about why she was in the Room of Requirement in the first place. _I should have been strong enough to stop it_, she thought bitterly, hating her weakness.

They headed up to the Prefect's bathroom together, their hands brushing lightly as they swung them back and forth.

Once behind the gargoyle that hid the Prefect's bathroom, Hermione and Ginny shyly and modestly stripped of their clothes while filling the tub with the bubbling, scented water. Hermione averted her eyes out of respect for Ginny, and Ginny did the same.

Once in the water, they floated serenely, relaxing out of the sleepy stupor that clings to one upon waking. Hermione allowed her thoughts to drift away, unimportant at that moment, until she was completely still.

Suddenly, she felt something soggy smack into her. Jolting back into consciousness, Hermione subconsciously jerked away. Ginny giggled as Hermione saw what it was that had hit her: one of the large, sturdy bubbles. Hermione blushed as she pushed it back toward Ginny. That was the beginning of their playful war. Hiding behind yet another durable bubble, Ginny grabbed several smaller ones and blew them fiercely toward Hermione. Hermione laughed at the thought that these delicate suds could harm her, until they popped on her skin. She felt a sizzling that burned like something close to acid. She then reciprocated with a few random bubbles, making mental notes at which had eventful effects.

This continued on for a while, until Hermione realized that they had most likely already missed breakfast. When she mentioned this to Ginny, she looked surprised and jumped out of the pool-like bathtub. Performing a quick time spell, they found that it was 7:45.

_Not again_, Hermione groaned internally as she reached for a fluffy white towel. She quickly did a swap spell on her dirty robes, exchanging them for fresh ones. Within a minute, both she and Ginny were headed off to their respective classrooms.

Hermione slid into her seat in History of Magic seconds before the bell rang. She could feel a chill coming from her left side, and didn't need to look to know that Ron was glaring at her. Instead of dwelling on this, Hermione daydreamed about what she would do during her free period. That is, until she remembered that there was a class going on, and that she was missing valuable information. So, characteristically, she took thorough notes for the remainder of the period. At the end of class, Ron pulled her aside.

"If you think," he growled softly, "that I will put up with your recent moods, you've got another think coming."

"Ron," Hermione blurted suddenly, "I'm through with tolerating you. I'm sorry, but we're over." With that, she turned her heel and began to briskly walk away.

"Oh, no you don't," Ron said, grabbing her elbow, "We're not over until _I_ say we're over."

"Think again," Hermione said, yanking her arm from his grasp and leaving him standing in the middle of the hall, with his mouth open.

**A/N:** Okay, the story may seem over, but it isn't, so stay tuned for future updates. Now that school is officially out, I will have much more time to work on this, so expect updates more regularly. I would also like to start making the chapter longer, since I know that 2 ½ pages isn't much.

At my school, they love to relentlessly pound you with work the last few weeks, which is why I've only been able to work on this in pieces. And I got my OGT results back, after months of waiting (now I know how you feel ;p) and I actually did really well. My highest score was writing (512) and lowest was reading (433). To give you an idea of how these relate to regular grades, the highest score possible is usually around mid-500s. Not that you care, but I just thought I'd share that.

Read and review for updates!!!


	7. Chapter 7

**Disclaimer:** Don't own anything besides the twisted plot.

**A/N:** Yay! Chapter 7! Ugh, I know you're sick of hearing the never-ending apologies as to why I'm late, but I'll explain at the end of the chapter (editing out most of the boring details).

**Chapter 7**

Later that night, Hermione sat in her bed, with the curtains firmly drawn. Taking a deep breath, she raised her wand and preformed the spell that could change her life forever.

The Pregnancy Charm.

Shutting her eyes tightly, Hermione held her breath as she waited for the result to appear in the air in front of her. She found herself hoping against hope that the result would be red, the negative. After all, if she thought fiercely about it, Hermione thought that she could feel a menstrual cramp, and didn't that mean that the lining was about to be shed? The inside of Hermione's eyelids lit up, and she eagerly lifted them, convinced that she would be right.

In front of her was a green smiley face, boring into her skull.

Hermione's heart plummeted. She vanished the maliciously happy face with a flick of her wand and buried her face in her pillow. _What am I going to do?_ Hermione wondered miserably. She knew that she could never tell Ginny about this, she was too embarrassed and ashamed. _Maybe I could abort the baby_, she thought hopefully. The idea made her heart soar with freedom, but her stomach clenched with guilt. She knew that she would never be able to take a human life, especially not one that lived in and was nurtured by her, no matter how parasitic the baby seemed at times. For the time being, she resolved to just push the matter out of her mind and ignore it. She hated not being in control, but in this matter, she had no alternative option.

Thoughts whirling violently around her mind, Hermione attempted to relax enough to go to sleep. She tossed and turned for hours, but finally fell into a light slumber. She dreamt that she was walking along the corridor, trying to get to the library, when she ran into Ginny. She felt love and unexplainable guilt concurrently as she stared into Ginny's chocolate eyes. Suddenly, Ginny morphed into Ron, a fiery red monster. He pointed his wand at Hermione, and her stomach swelled, larger and larger, until a screaming mini-monster clawed its way out of her. Ginny, who was now watching by, saw this occurrence, and ran away from Hermione, the innocent hurt delicately scrawled all over her features.

Hermione awoke, crying.

***

The next day, Hermione bolted out of bed quite early, trying to escape her nightmares. She was grateful that it was a Saturday, and she had no lesson obligations (though she would likely be doing schoolwork anyway. Obtaining knowledge held a sort of thrill for her). She spent 10 minutes trying to decide what to wear, doing an adequate job of keeping herself from contemplating her difficult situation. She eventually decided on a loose, flowing skirt; knitted leg warmers; and a mohair sweater. Knowing that she was still way too early to go to breakfast, Hermione dabbed on some makeup, still needing to keep busy.

Eventually, Hermione ran out of ways to stall, so she headed down to the Great Hall. She was surprised to see Ginny sitting at a table already, quietly eating her breakfast. Hermione joined her, and Ginny beamed.

After they each ate a quick bowl of oatmeal, Ginny took Hermione's hand and led her up the stairs.

"Where are we going?" Hermione asked.

Ginny grinned mysteriously. "You'll see," she replied shortly.

They reached the statue of the one-eyed witch, and Ginny tapped the statue with her wand, wordlessly. Hermione was surprised that Ginny had already been able to master silent spellcasting, but followed her into the widened hump.

Hermione followed Ginny through a dark, damp tunnel that smelled of dry sweat, rat droppings, and mildew.

When they reached Honeydukes, Ginny led them silently up through the trapdoor and out of the cellar. They skirted past the employees and stepped outside into the freshly fallen thin layer of snow.

"Ginny, please, where are we going?" Hermione _hated_ not having control of a situation.

Ginny held out her hand for Hermione to take. She did so, begrudgingly, and was shocked when she felt as if she were being squeezed through an inner tube. When the painful sensation had ceased, she looked at Ginny in awe.

"You can Apparate?" Hermione asked incredulously, feeling slightly inferior.

Ginny shrugged. "I taught myself. It was really quite simple."

It was then that Hermione first took note of her surroundings. They were standing in what looked like a beautiful, frost garden. Plants and trees bloomed in the crisp snow that caked their branches and petals. Frost fairies flitted all around, gently luminous as they graced the leaves with their exquisite, otherworldly beauty. Ice sickles hung from branches like artwork, sparkling with dewdrops. Ginny linked hands with Hermione and they sat down on a bench and gazed at the sky, pink in sunrise.

"Ginny," Hermione uttered breathlessly, looking around in awe "This is… beautiful. I heard Professor Sprout talking about these gardens. But I thought they were only found in France!" Her eyes finally came back to Ginny's face. Ginny was smiling, and her eyes held a mischievous glint.

"Wait- don't tell me- we Apparated all the way to- but how?"

"Magic has always come easily to me," Ginny said nonchalantly, "But since we're in France, why don't we make a day of it?"

"Sure," Hermione smiled, trying to suppress an involuntary shiver. Ginny noticed this, and draped her own thick, periwinkle cloak around Hermione's shoulders.

"No," Hermione tried to protest, but Ginny insisted.

"Honestly, Hermione, I love cold weather- this is my element. I would have died if I had to stay in that sauna of a cloak."

Blushing, Hermione pulled the toasty warm fabric closer to her. She caught a whiff of the flowery scent that seemed to follow Ginny, and it washed over her, both calming and exciting her simultaneously.

Ginny grabbed Hermione's hand, pulled her off of the bench, and twirled her around the magical garden. Giggling, Hermione followed Ginny's lead and spun out, then back in very close. Ginny pecked Hermione on the lips before continuing with their dance.

**A/N:** Ok, this summer has been so packed so far. But I promised to edit out the tedious details. Need-to-know. So, in about a week, I will be leaving for a month-long exchange program to Japan, and I'm not allowed on the computer because it costs them lots of money or something. I don't really know why, but just don't be expecting updates until after August 6th, when I get back. On a brighter note, my birthday was sweet! But I'm not stupid enough to give away my age on the internet. Until next time, my lovely readers!


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